At the End of the Day
by bookworm03
Summary: PartOne: Michelle gets a visit the morning after day 2. Completely pointless and plotless and fluffy...lol. PartTwo: Dating is always, always awkward... More fluff and even less plot!
1. Chapter 1

At the End of the Day

**A/N: **_Okay, so latest chapter of "Bend" isn't going so well and this is something I've had written since I was bored one Sunday and had absolutely no work to do (for once), so I decided I may as well post it. I miss the days when the site was flooded with T/M fics…lol. Anyway…rated K+ but there's a little swearing in it – word of warning. And um…post day 2, mindless drivel and completely unrelated to any of my other stories. _

_Enjoy! _

He shouldn't be doing what he was about to do, especially not now; not after everything that had happened. He should've had someone else take care of it, or, better yet, he should've waited until the next day and just done it at work. There was no need to be driving to her house. No need whatsoever.

He wanted to see her.

He _really_ wanted to see her.

He wanted to see her so badly that the thought of having to wait a full…22 hours and 8 minutes…seemed intolerable. He wanted to see her so badly that he was not concerning himself with how awkward the entire situation might be if he showed up unannounced. He wanted to see her so badly that he'd chance having the door slammed in his face, (not that he could really see her doing that), or her not being home, or being asleep, (Damn, he really hoped he didn't wake her up). He'd chance it because he wanted to see her.

Besides, she'd dropped her wallet on her way out of medical that morning. It was the chivalrous thing to do. Women need their wallets, right? Or maybe that was their bags…he couldn't remember now if the wallet was the essential part.

He did, however, remember that he wanted to see her.

She'd kissed him that morning…very, very early that morning. She'd kissed him and he had to admit he had been incredibly turned on by it. After all, how often do beautiful, sexy, smart women you've had mind blowing sexual tension with for six months just grab you and kiss you?

Not that often.

Once in a lifetime…if you're lucky…

After today he realized that he, Tony Almeida, was definitely lucky. Besides having all of the above – all those superficial things that anyone could see – there was something between them he swore he'd never felt before. It was beyond tension and chemistry and all the things that got his blood flowing…it was something else.

It was the way she looked at him.

The way she met his eyes at least once throughout a conversation before her cheeks turned pink and she looked away… She's not afraid to get to know him. She's not afraid to take a risk on something everyone else has long since given up on. Apparently his relationship with Nina Myers didn't just scare him; it scared everyone else away from him. No one seemed to want to get close because, well, he was a lost cause after all.

She was different though.

She made him want to throw protocol and procedure out the window and focus on the here and now. She made him, even if only for a second, forget entirely that there was someone named Nina Myers and there was a reason he didn't date in the office anymore. He'd kissed her back because the idea that the whole thing could end with her thinking it was because _she'd_ made a mistake was unbearable.

She let him in first. She broke down in front of him either because she was just too tired and emotional to hold back…or because she trusted him. He hoped it was the latter.

So now, here he was, driving a good thirty minutes out of his way to drop her wallet off at her apartment. He couldn't deny having leapt at the opportunity to see her again. He was pretty sure she had gotten the point when he'd told her he'd see her tomorrow. She'd smiled when he said it.

He bit his lip as he stopped at a red light. She had a great smile. A person didn't smile a lot during a day at CTU, but he wished she would. He wouldn't mind if it was because of him either.

The light turned green and he moved his foot to the accelerator. His stomach churned as he realized he was getting close.

* * *

It was the best shower she'd ever taken in her life. Hands down. The hot water had washed away all the dried blood and dirt and muted the horrible feelings she had been swallowing all day about what had happened to her colleagues…her friends.

She had been trying not to think about _him_. No amount of hot water tended to prevent those thoughts from getting her worked up.

They'd kissed. She'd kissed him. She'd kissed her _boss_ in the middle of a national crisis in a pretty obvious spot if she really stopped to think about it. How stupid could you get, honestly? She was supposed to have more common sense than that. They'd already agreed on a date…sort of. Why did she have to go and –

He was a _good _kisser. She wasn't even going to try to deny it. It was, quite possibly, the best kiss she'd ever had in her entire life and she wasn't about to make it out to be something it wasn't. No matter what happened between them now…it was what it was.

He'd kissed her back too. He'd tugged at her lips and played with her hair and brushed the skin of her cheek. Damn. If it hadn't been so completely inappropriate, and in such a bad location it might've even been romantic... She wasn't even supposed to be a romantic, really. She wasn't mushy or gushing, and she wasn't cynical either. She was realistic, or so she liked to think. But that kiss, in that moment, had sent her analytical mind soaring up to the clouds.

Michelle Dessler stepped outside the shower and began to towel off, noticing the unattractive bags under her eyes and shaking off the stiffness in her wrist from the bombing. Her whole body ached and she had bruises everywhere. Perfect.

_See ya tomorrow…_

The most annoying part of that was that she knew him well enough to know there was a hidden meaning behind that. The look on his face had confirmed it. Plus, he had insisted he wasn't sorry about the kiss…That had to be good. Something good had to come from this hell they'd spent the last day living.

She wrapped a towel around her body and combed out her curly hair as it dripped all over her bare shoulders. As tired as she was, tomorrow really couldn't come soon enough. She needed to discuss everything in a calm and rational frame of mind without the chaos and the emotions of that entire day. She needed to see what was there when they were both rested and refreshed and thinking logically.

She was just moving into her bedroom when there was a knock on her door.

Who the hell was visiting her at 10am?

Cautiously, she padded out into the hallway and checked through the peephole.

Oh. _Shit_.

"Tony?" she said it in disbelief before she could stop herself. On the other side of the door he scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah…sorry I'm…"

Without thinking she ripped open the door. She really needed to start forcing herself to breathe _deeply_ and _think_ around this man…she was still wearing nothing but a towel.

She turned bright red when his mouth opened slightly at the sight.

"I um…" there wasn't even a good way to justify why she hadn't taken the time to put clothes on. _He probably thinks you're coming on to him, you idiot… _

"I was just getting out of the shower." She finished lamely, still fiercely red and watching his jaw shift as his expression changed from surprised to amused and slightly cocky. He fought off a smirk.

She looked gorgeous. Of course, the fact that she was wearing very little clothing was a bonus, but she really did look gorgeous. Her skin was fresh and dewy from the shower and her hair hung loosely on her shoulders. She still looked exhausted, but her eyes weren't as cloudy as they had been when they said goodbye earlier.

"Yeah…listen…I'm sorry about just showing up like this…your neighbor let me in."

"It's okay." She smiled softly, feeling like a complete moron. "What's up?"

If it was work related he would've called. Maybe he had come to talk to her about…

"You dropped your wallet in medical when you went to pick up your brother." She finally noticed the small, black object in his hand. Her face fell before she could stop it.

"Oh…damn, I didn't even notice." She extended her hand for it. "Thanks."

He held out the wallet and his finger tips touched her wrist as he pulled away. The both tensed at the contact.

"No problem." He smiled crookedly and she gulped.

"You shouldn't have bothered." She stated hoarsely, her heart pounding. "I mean I appreciate it, but you must be exhausted, and I'm so out of your way..."

He met her eyes. "S'okay."

She smiled, her lips sealed tightly.

"Thank you."

"Can I at least get you some coffee or something…" she offered after a few seconds of staring at each other.

He snapped out of it and shook his head.

"Nah. I should really get home…" he indicated to his foot. "Before the painkillers wear off…"

She nodded, forgetting how awkward she should be feeling at having a conversation in a doorway, wearing a towel, with Tony Almeida.

"Is it bad?" she asked with concern.

He shrugged. "I guess…could be worse…"

She nodded.

"How are you?"

"What?"

"You sore?"

"Oh…" she bit her lip. "A little…lots of bruises." She laughed hollowly. "I definitely got off easy though…"

He nodded solemnly and noticed a particularly nasty contusion covering a large portion of her shoulder and collarbone. He hadn't noticed it before, he realized. Her shirt must've covered it.

"That looks pretty bad." He indicated to the bruise.

She frowned, not sure what he was talking about.

"This…" he reached out and almost unnoticeably brushed his thumb across it.

Her breath caught when he touched her.

"Right…" she gulped again. "Yeah…it's…bad one..."

The stared at each other for a few more seconds and he finally got tired of beating around the bush.

"Michelle…about everything that happened…"

She was hanging on his every word.

"I uh… I know I said I wasn't sorry, but the truth is…I'm glad it happened" He finished stupidly.

Her eyes lit up and she grinned a little.

"I just wanted to make sure ya knew that."

She was smiling completely now and he couldn't help but brush a piece of hair out of her face. It was damp and soft and the brief contact with her cheek sent chills through him.

"I do now." She tilted her head to one side as he pulled away, fighting to keep her voice steady.

The corners of his lips twitched.

"Good."

He reached in to touch her hair again and caressed her cheek this time. Their eyes locked and her breath caught as he leaned in to press their lips together.

It was a nice kiss – not like before. It wasn't aggressive or passionate in the way that morning's had been, but it felt nice. In some ways it was almost better than before. It was soothing, therapeutic, and reassuring. His warm lips met hers again and again as his hands tangled in her hair and touched her face and her neck, pulling her closer. Her own hands were grasping at his arms and tightened when his fingers moved below her neck and started manipulating the skin of her creamy shoulders. She gasped slightly in his mouth and his teeth gently nipped at her lower lip.

One half of her brain was yelling at her to break it off. _You're in a towel!_ The other half was telling her to enjoy it, savor it; it was the only truly good things that had come out of the day.

After a few more seconds they both stopped and he tilted his forehead against hers, still touching her cool skin and panting heavily.

"I should probably let you get some sleep."

She nodded slightly.

"Probably…" her hands tightened their grip whether subconsciously or not.

They stared at each other for a few seconds and at first she thought he was going to kiss her again – that was until he pulled away abruptly.

"Alright…" he took a few steps back quickly so as not to give himself time to rationalize doing anything but. "I_ really_ should let you sleep…"

She looked a little disappointed but she knew he was right. After all, what was she planning on doing, asking him to join her in bed, minus one towel?

"Okay…" her voice had turned small and squeaky.

He smiled a half-smile and ran his thumb over her cheek.

" 'Kay…"

He was still touching her and made no move to leave.

"Maybe…I'll call ya later?"

Her face lit up.

"Sure. I might have to go check on Danny when he wakes up but…I'll have my cell or I'll just be at home."

"Alright…" he nodded gruffly before pulling her in for one quick kiss.

"I'll talk to ya later."

She was smiling completely when he pulled away and he felt a sharp pang in his stomach.

"Okay."

He finally forced himself to walk away, well aware that she was _watching_ him walk away and fighting the urge to turn around and look.

"Go to sleep, Michelle." He called warningly over his shoulder and he knew she was grinning before he even turned around in the open elevator.

She closed the door to her apartment just as the elevator caused him to disappear from her site.

Orders were orders, after all.


	2. Fourth Time's the Charm

Fourth Time's the Charm

**A/N: **_Hey everyone! Okay so crazy, busy summer combined with some serious writer's block does not make me the most reliable person for updates…lol. I'm sorry! I'm aware there are quite a few people who will be disappointed this isn't an update for my other story, but I've seriously hit a brick wall with that one. Hopefully I'll have something for that in the coming weeks. In the meantime, this is just something I put together over the last few days that was just fun…I'm giving it a 'T' rating and a warning that there is some pretty __detailed__ stuff in here. (If anyone's truly offended let me know. I can always increase the rating…) _

_Anyway, enough blabbering…Enjoy! _

In the few seconds before her eyes finish adjusting to the dim light of the restaurant she feels his hand brush lightly against hers and her breathing increase rapidly. Her heart is pounding in her chest to the point where she feels like she might explode any second and all its taken is the slightest contact between her skin and his.

It is, quite possibly, because she is reminded of the last time something innocent turned into something more and the mere memory is what excites her now. Well, that and the slightly cocky, totally endearing smirk he's wearing when he notices the color rise in her cheeks. She stares dumbfounded for a second before offering a clumsy, not the least bit sweet or seductive or even friendly smile of her own before turning away again. If she'd allowed her gaze to linger a few seconds longer she would've noticed he's just as, if not more, nervous than she is.

This is different…this is awkward; and while he wants nothing more than to forget about work for the entire night and just enjoy her company he's beginning to wonder if maybe that's the only thing they have in common and the only thing they'll ever have to talk about …not exactly the foundation of a relationship.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Not that he isn't absolutely smitten with her or anything like that… Quite the opposite…he's convinced he's never been so attracted to anyone in his entire life and probably never will be again. The problem is…they're uncomfortable. A social situation, (specifically a social situation with each other), is a foreign concept to them, and as much as he wants to avoid talking about work for the remainder of the evening he has an inkling it might be necessary to break the ice.

He mutters something only slightly CTU related and very sarcastic into her ear about Ryan Chappelle and she laughs, causing the hostess to turn around and offer them a small, knowing grin. Her laugh is light and feminine without being overly giggly and it makes the knots in the pit of his stomach tighten that much more. She blushes again when he lingers beside her cheek long enough for her to feel his warmth radiating against her.

Things get a little easier after that.

When he walks her up to her apartment she isn't sure whether to expect a kiss goodnight and whether inviting him in just yet is the best idea…He studies her carefully for a few seconds before pressing his lips lightly against hers, almost in the same way one might kiss a relative, and tells her he'll see her in the morning.

She's left frowning and utterly confused at the chasteness of the whole act and he has to use every ounce of self-control he's got to keep walking towards the elevator, instead of pushing her up against the doorway and tangling his fingers in her hair.

* * *

The next day he asks her out again and she agrees, somewhat reluctantly; wondering how long they're going to pretend there's nothing worth writing home about between them and these friendly dates are exactly what they've been longing for since she started working there. If only he wasn't so damn irresistible. 

The movie theatre is pitch black by the time they enter it and he leads her to a seat in its far recesses where they avoid being surrounded by people. It's halfway through the movie before he works up the courage to find her hand resting gently in her lap and trace gentle circles around the palm. She shivers slightly and he isn't sure if it's because she's cold or because of the gesture.

It scares her how strong her reaction is to his palm-circling and makes her wonder what in the world she'll do if he ever kisses her again like he did before. When it happened the first time she never had time to process it. It had been happening before she could think logically; take it all in. But now she's analyzed it, dreamed about it, relived it in bed practically every night since and if something like that were to happen again…

She's got a distinct feeling she might faint.

* * *

By the time their fourth date rolls around she's utterly fed up with the routine and the lack of interest he's showing. Sexually frustrated would probably be the understatement of the century. She's had about a thousand dreams involve them kissing in that hallway, him pinning her against the wall, and Carrie interrupting them at the most inopportune of times. 

"You okay?" he asks when she emerges from her building and it's quite obvious she's not.

"Fine." She comments offhandedly, wondering when her voice became high and squeaky. He frowns and raises an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" he tugs her gently towards him and searches her face with genuine concern, hoping for a tell.

"I just…" she looks away. "I'm going crazy here."

"Michelle…"

She presses on, feeling emboldened.

"I mean after everything that happened that day and that…" she hesitates. "…that kiss…I just…do you even want this-?"

She's cut off when his lips seal passionately around hers and his body presses her against the concrete while his hands become nestled in her hair and around her waist. It takes almost no time for her to feel completely surrounded by his embrace and unable to focus on anything except the way he seems to be in complete control of what her body is doing at the moment.

"I just didn't want to…" he looks slightly embarrassed as he pulls away. "Hurt you…"

Her ragged breathing slows when he breaks the kiss and she smiles genuinely; completely aware that she's still wrapped up in his arms and he's still mere inches from her face. It's sweet, what he's said, but she wonders how completely true it is… Especially since _his_ past disasters are the reason it took so long for them to get off the ground in the first place...

"I'll chance it…" she tells him brazenly.

He continues to watch her seriously. "I won't."

When she starts laughing she could kick herself.

"I'm sorry…" she grins and averts his gaze. "I'm starting to wonder if you kiss me like that because you want to or you want to shut me up."

He chuckles softly and glides his thumb across her cheek.

"A little of both I think."

She studies him for a second, her lips curved slightly upward, before they start kissing again.

This time it's slower and much more relaxed. He takes time to brush the hair away from her face and cups her cheek gently as their noses bump together more than once. It isn't long before their tongues end up entwined. She gasps slightly into his warm; wet lips and tries, in vain, to remember a time when she's ever felt more alive than she did at that moment. She realizes it was the last time they had a kiss as good as this one…

"Hi Michelle!" a voice shouts from the corner and they break apart quickly; though Tony's arm remains pressed against the side of the building, as though in adamant refusal to let her escape.

"Hey kiddo." Michelle smiles at her 5-year-old neighbor whose mother is no doubt a few seconds behind her. She's acutely aware Tony's still dangerously close to her, her cheeks are red, her lips are swollen and her hair is a disaster.

Lucy turns away shyly in search of her mother when she notices Tony and he quickly runs his hand through his hair and releases Michelle completely.

"Tony this is Lucy." Michelle interjects quickly.

He smiles somewhat uncomfortably at her and she smiles back, feeling a little better now.

"Sorry Michelle." Her mother calls apologetically and Michelle blushes further when the woman notices Tony.

"It's okay." She waves away the apology. "You know how much I love to see Lucy, right kiddo?"

Lucy smiles brightly and nods.

"Michelle makes the best hot chocolate." She states happily.

Michelle feels herself turn red. _Yeah, that's about all Michelle can make._

Tony shifts his gaze between the two before declaring how much he'd like to try some of Michelle's world famous hot chocolate. She groans internally, shoots him a dirty look and escorts everyone into her apartment; trying hard not to think about it took a kindergartener and hot chocolate to get him inside.

* * *

They drink leisurely; Lucy chatting about the latest adventures of her class and how many friends she has before adding that Michelle was, most definitely, her favorite person in the world to play with. Tony casually mumbles his agreement of the latter, and kicks Michelle's foot lightly under the table. She blushes. 

Lucy's mom, Evelyn, soon announces it is time for bed and thanks Michelle earnestly for spending the night with them as "Lucy just adores her".

Tony watches with a grin as the little girl embraces Michelle and makes her promise to come visit soon, even if she had to bring the boy with her since he wasn't so bad.

He shakes his head slightly in a combination of admiration and amusement as she beams contentedly after closing the door.

"Cute kid." He states, relaxed.

She laughs as she clears the mugs off the kitchen table. "Chatty too. They moved into the building a few months ago. Her dad left…"

He can tell she's bitter and changes the subject quickly.

"Nice apartment." He comments offhandedly.

She sighs, feeling dejected.

"Thanks."

But when she meets his eyes she can feel the spark again; the energy has returned and this time there'll be no interruptions.

She practically swoons when his lips slam against hers and he steers them so she's leaning against the counter. His one arm encircles her waist and his hand claws at her shoulders through the t-shirt she's wearing while the other buries itself deeply in her hair.

It's not long before her hands are tugging unabashedly at the buttons of his shirt and he tears away.

"You sure?" he asks breathlessly as he cups her face tenderly in both hands and she nods, feeling completely confident for the first time.

Somehow they end up in the bedroom and he's trying to be careful and loving when all he really wants to do is slam her against the door and rip away her clothes. He presses her against the wall and tugs at her bottom lip as his hands cup the back of her thighs and pulls her snugly against him. They then wrap comfortably around her hips as their tongues get tied up with each other. She's trying desperately to think clearly and do something brilliantly sexy that will drive him as crazy as he's driving her. When she moans softly in his mouth it seems to clear his head because he pulls away, both their breathing heavy. He stares at her somewhat apologetically before kissing her lightly on her lips, and making his way across her jaw down to her neck.

"Tony…" she breathes softly into his hair and her eyes flutter shut as his lips sprinkle kisses across her neck and collarbone. His fingers glide beneath the fabric of her shirt and trace across her cool stomach, making her moan again.

He smiles into her neck when she does and lifts up his head. She's leaning back against the wall and her eyes are tightly shut.

"You okay?" he was starting to worry he might've been a little too forceful, but she smiles sweetly and nods and says something that sounds vaguely like an exasperated "yeah".

She pulls his hand to her mouth and kisses his palm before placing it firmly on top of her heaving chest.

"I'm…a little nervous I guess."

He stares at her tenderly for a few seconds and kisses her again, this time a lot more gently.

Both their shirts are gone soon afterwards and his fingers work their way from the edge of her jeans to the top of her bra. He kneels down and heats her skin for a few seconds with his breath and she shivers uncontrollably at how very close he is to her at that very moment and how the layers of clothes between them are slowly dwindling.

And then her jeans are gone and he takes a few seconds to study her body before reaching behind her head and pulling her hair elastic out. It's trickier than he anticipated and he's wary of pulling too hard or tangling the stupid thing in even deeper than it already is.

She laughs for the first time and eases his hands away, tossing the offending elastic in the corner with the rest of her clothes. He buries his hands into her mass of curls and kisses her again, nibbling on her lower lip, wanting to hear the noises she'll make when he does. When he moves down to her neck again it's with the same calmness as he attempts to soothe away the red marks he started to leave behind.

She rids him of his own jeans quickly and he groans heavily when her nimble fingers linger across the front of his boxers for a few seconds and then move to the waistband. Just as quickly they're gone though, and he can't quite get over the disappointment.

They maneuver away from the wall and tumble onto the bed, her bra lost in the process, and it's only a few more seconds before they're both naked and he's on top of her and can't seem to figure out how much longer either of them wants to draw this out. His eyes meet hers and he knows she's not ready yet.

That's fine. He can wait.

His hand slides down her body, caressing the skin directly below her belly button for a few seconds before moving between her legs. She gasps when they hit their mark and twists and turns amidst the sheets in an attempt to keep still long enough for him to finish what he started.

And just when she thinks she can't take it anymore; just when the tension feels like far, far too much for her to handle; just when she thinks the torture she's feeling in that very instant can't possibly be worth the release she'll feel in what seems like an eternity…her muscles spasm and she cries out and falls back against the pillows. It's the idea that it's him doing it as much as it is anything else that pushes her over the edge.

He grins somewhat cockily at her and pushes back a few strands of sweaty hair as she pants heavily. He kisses her and she eagerly reciprocates, her head leaving the pillow again and her fingers wrapping around his neck and caressing his face while her tongue searches his own out.

He breaks away and adjusts his weight on top of her, positioning himself for entry as he spreads her knees apart. She can feel herself getting excited at just the notion of it – oh god what if he can tell it's been nine months since she last did this – as he slides into her.

He moves inside her in a way she's never felt before and she thinks if this is what nine months of nothing results in it's well, well worth it. The tension between them builds and they pound a steady rhythm, him conscious all the while of her body's every reaction to his every movement. The sounds she would've normally made when the orgasm finally overtakes her are muted when his lips smoother hers and she collapses sweaty and shaking against the bed while his mouth comes to rest in the crook of her neck.

"Oh my god…" she moans euphorically as she brushes the sweaty hair from his forehead. There's a hint of vulnerability in his eyes that wasn't there before, and it makes the bile in the back of her throat thicken and her chest constrict.

It's a few seconds before he finally responds by pressing his lips against her collarbone and rolling over to the other side of the bed.

* * *

"Michelle…" he groans a little while later. "You asleep?" 

She shakes her head.

"No…"

His arm pulls her back towards him and she's grateful to be snuggling into his chest now, instead of as they were before.

"Listen uh…" he looks tormented by what he is about to say. "I'm sorry I took so long…not just these last couple of weeks but in general…"

His hand brushes the damp curls from the back of her neck and continues to toy with them. It's gone again, the vulnerability, but the fact that it was ever there and she got to see it at all say a lot.

"It's okay."

He leans down and kisses her half-heartedly, unaware of how he managed to fight off sleep for as long as he did.

"Good."

She feels the corners of her lips twitching upwards as she admires him sleeping amidst her sheets and pillows. It's a nice sight, she decides. A comforting one, to say the least… He fits there and that notion relaxes her, and eases Michelle into her own sleep against him.

Because the thing is, waiting forever for something you want is what makes it worth it in the end.


End file.
